Rail anticreeper



June 1, 1948. c CHRIS-HE 2,442,343

RAIL ANTICREEPER Filed March 20, 1947 I m'entor Hugh 0 Christi e Patented June 1, 1 948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAH. ANTICREEPER Hugh C. Christie, Cocoli, 0. Z.

Application March 20, 1947, Serial No. 736,019

.2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in rail anti-creepers and the primary feature of the present invention is to provide a device for preventing longitudinal movement of the rails on their ties.

Another important feature of the present invention is to provide a device of the character referred to which can be readily and quickly applied to the rails by a usual rail pick.

A further feature of the present invention is to provide a rail anti-creeper designed to be applied from either side of the rail by merely stretching the device so that the hooks provided at each end thereof grip the base flanges of the rail and said device is so designed to have a positive locking action on the rail and is held in place thereon through spring action.

A still further feature of the present invention is to provide a rail anti-creeper of the class described that is simple and practical in construction, easily applied to and removed from a. rail, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a rail with the anti-creeper device applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a rail shown in section, the anti-creeper device applied to the rail.

Figure 3 is a side elevational View thereof.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the anticreeper device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 5 represents a portion of a standard rail having the usual form of bottom flange or base 6.

The anti-creeper device designated generally by the numeral 1 comprises a one-piece resilient bar, preferably circular in cross-section.

Pairs of horizontally spaced substantially U- shaped hook members 8 and 9 are connected at their upper ends by integral horizontal pickengaging loops Ill and H.

The lower end of one of the hook members 8 and the lower end of one of the hook members 9 are connected by an integrally formed, horizon- 2 tally undulating body portion 12 formed of longitudinal loops l3.

The lower end of the other hook member 8 and the lower end of the other hook member 9 are bent around the body portion as at M for connecting thereto.

In use of the anti-creeper device, the loop members 8 engage one side of the bottom flange 6 and the body portion [2 extends transversely beneath the rail 5. The loop I0 formed at the upper ends of members 9 is then engaged by a usual rail pick or the like (not shown), and in this manner the body is stretched or pulled outwardly under tension by the loops l3 of the body portion so that the hook members 9 engage the bottom flange 6 on the other side from the members 8 as shown in Figure 2. The loops I3 are adapted to bear against metal tie plate l5 of a tie l6, thereby preventing longitudinal movement of the rail.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. A rail anti-creeper of one piece construction comprising pairs of opposed hook members adapted to grip the bottom flange of a rail on opposite sides of the rail, outwardly extended pick-engaging loops formed at the upper ends of each pair of hook members between the hooks of each pair, and a resilient body portion extending transversely under the rail and connecting said opposed pairs of loops, said body portion adapted for transverse stretching under tension to permit engagement of the hook members with the rail, and said body portion bearing transversely against the rail tie.

2. A rail anti-creeper for attachment to the base of the rail comprising an elongated skeleton member of rod-like resilient material including a body of zigzag form adapted to underlie said base crosswise thereof and to be stretched to elongate the same, end pairs of hooks on said body connected thereto in laterally spaced relation in each pair and adapted to straddle the edges of said base at widely separated points along each edge and yielding'ly engage said edge under reaction of said body, and pick engaging loops connecting REFERENCES CITED th h k together in pairs and extending g- The following references are of record in the tudinally of the base outwardly beyond the pairs file Of i p t n of hooks for the insertion of a pick therein be- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS tween said loops and said edges of said base.

Number Name Date HUGH Q CHRISTE ,6 6 Vail Oct. 7, 1913 

